What does it take to keep a 125-year-old pier going?

Described as an icon of Norfolk, Cromer Pier has withstood war, tidal surges and being split in half to entertain visitors for 125 years. As the town celebrates its milestone, why is it held in such affection and what does it take to ensure its survival for future generations?

It stretches 140m (459ft) into the North Sea - and deep into the past.

Cromer Pier, with its boardwalk, elegant ironwork and seating, may have been a wonder for its first visitors on 8 June 1901 - but a structure built above the waves was not anything new to Cromer.

The pier's beginnings extend as far back as 1391, when Cromer was a busy port.

A pier - or jetty - was used to load local produce on to ships.

"There are records of the subscriptions in Tudor times when everybody had to fork out to help pay for the jetty," explained Peter Stibbons, chairman of the Friends of Cromer Museum.

"It goes right through to Victorian times - there was yet another act of Parliament to produce a new jetty and, again, everybody local had to pay for it."

The final jetty was destroyed in 1897, prompting businessman Alex Jarvis to have an idea. He owned the newly-built Hotel de Paris - which still dominates the seafront directly above the pier - and knew an opportunity when he saw one.

"We're into the time of late Victoriana, the railways have arrived, the people are flooding to Cromer, and Mr Jarvis thinks it'd be jolly nice to have a pier in front of my hotel," said Stibbons.

Its Edwardian visitors could take a stroll and be entertained at its bandstand which, in 1905, became a pavilion and the theatre we know today.

It went on to boast a restaurant and was a popular spot for families to go crabbing.

Over the years the pier has been damaged and rebuilt numerous times, with a vessel ramming into it its early years, and the end of the pier being washed away in a gale.

During World War Two, the Royal Engineers removed the pier's middle section to prevent invading forces - but the gaping hole had to be bridged so the Cromer lifeboat crew could reach their station, which had been added to the end of the pier in the 1920s.

The men who navigated the deserted pier during wartime would have included legendary coxswain Henry Blogg in his final years of service.

Stibbons said he remembered going to his first show at the Pavilion, the Pirates of Penzance, in 1952 - one of the final shows at the theatre at that time.

The North Sea flood of 1953, caused by a heavy storm surge - in which 300 people lost their lives along the coastline - wrecked the pier and promenade in Cromer.

"Lots of wreckage was spread on the pier and the side of the pavilion bashed in, and the lifeboat was lifted off its ramp," said Stibbons.

"In '53 and '54 they couldn't use the pier because the pavilion was in a mess."

Having been ripped apart during the war, the pier was cut in two again in 1993 when a rig crashed into it, leaving a 30m (98ft) gap just behind the two domes at its entrance.

"[The rig] was working off West Runton, it came loose in a storm and simply got swept along the coast and went straight through the pier," said Stibbons.

"We had to have a bridge again for the lifeboat crew to get across for a little while.

"But thankfully it's all been restored, is back in action and there for us to enjoy."

Even under cover, the elements are never far away.

The Pavilion Theatre, a sprightly 120 years old, is home to the last remaining end-of-pier variety show in the world - staged over summer and Christmas each year.

Waves can be heard under the auditorium and general manager Sean Garrett said he had been advised to "get off" the pier three times during his 11-year tenure, amid potentially dangerous weather conditions.

A multi-million pound refurbishment due next year would make a "massive difference" to the temperature inside the theatre, which was often uncomfortably cold or hot, he said.

"The theatre is fairly unique, being on the end of the pier," added Garrett.

"There's only five left in the country now, so it's really important that we carry on the tradition of keeping this theatre alive.

"Everybody from acrobats to vocalists to comedians can come and cut their teeth here and then hopefully move on to bigger and better."

Well-known faces have graced the stage over the years, including actor and comedian Bradley Walsh, who said he was "plucked from obscurity" by its then manager, Dick Condon.

"The pier show - without it, I promise you I wouldn't be standing here now," he said in a special message to the pier from the set of TV quiz show The Chase.

He described performing in its seaside special in 1986 - returning in 87 and 88 - as "three of the happiest years of my life".

Megan Gowen knows the thrill of treading its boards.

As a child, she performed with her local dance school in the summer and Christmas shows for six years and chose the venue for her school work experience placement.

"I was invited to stay on, because I loved it so much," said Gowen, who is now stage manager.

"It's a dream job - what a lovely venue, what a great place to work.

"It's got such charm and the staff are just so friendly.

"We've all known each other forever; we're all mainly locals and it's just a bit of a family. "

"You learn everything about the industry when you're here - so I suppose that's why people [who appear here] go on to do bigger and better things."

"Everyone has memories of this place - whether that's coming for a bit of crabbing or a wander along for a beer on the pier, or a visit to the theatre," said Tim Adams, leader of North Norfolk District Council, which owns the site.

"It's so many things to so many people."

He described maintenance work on the pier as "incredibly complex" - with the supporting structure needing more than a lick of paint.

"Some of [the work] you can see - we're painting the railings, we replace decking all the time.

"But it's the essential replacement of the steel structure gradually over time that we also have to do, and involves specialist diving teams.

"Cromer Pier really is iconic for the whole of Norfolk, so it's a no-brainer for us to continue to maintain it."

He said reaching the milestone was a "magnificent achievement" for everyone that had been involved in its past, present and contributing to its future.

"I can see it lasting another 125 years," he said.

"I think someone will have another conversation here in 125 years' time and will be explaining how important it is."

The pier is hosting a gala celebration for its special birthday from 16:00 BST on Monday, with live music and street performers.

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